


Fracture

by OverlyZealousEgg



Category: Red vs. Blue
Genre: AU, Gen, Project Freelancer
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-08
Updated: 2017-07-20
Packaged: 2018-10-29 11:20:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,254
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10852923
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OverlyZealousEgg/pseuds/OverlyZealousEgg
Summary: The prompt is “AU where South gets Epsilon instead”  by Lotus063 on tumblr.wip, begins with South waking up after the Epsilon Unit was removed/ Tex and York attacking.





	1. Split

“ _South_ ,” concern coated in stress radiated off of North when she started to wake up, “take it easy, don’t move to fast, how do you feel?” Washington had never heard North sound so distraught before. That definitive composed ease that North always commanded seemed entirely absent. He had been sitting at South’s side since they announced that the epsilon implantation was a failure. 

North’s grasp on her hand tightened and his free palm hovered behind her back when she pushed herself off the cot to sit up. 

“What..” The question fell incomplete out of South’s dizzy mind. The world spun around as wildly as her thoughts. But together they slowed into their proper place. South tugged her hand away from North’s, “What happened?” She asked, reaching for the A.I. implant location only to find nothing there. “Where’s my fucking A.I.?!” She demanded, quick to protest- not because of the reasons she might have protested _before_ but because of what she remembered _during_. It might have been fuzzy, but it was burned into her memory.

South looked around, Washington was with them and he looked like hell. 

No, he looked worse than that. She glanced between Wash and North, neither seemed willing to answer her question. 

Wash spoke first. He was so quiet she had trouble hearing him. “They said the implant was a failure. They removed it. They’re going to remove all of them.” That was when South saw it, Wash was petrified because it should have been him who received the Epsilon A.I. 

“…Are they removing Carolina’s?” She asked through grit teeth. Her head still hurt from all of the thoughts, the feelings, the memories even, that bombarded a space that had always been singularly her own. “What about York?” 

“York and Tex went AWOL. They’re after the A.I. units.” Washington continued to explain, conveniently skipping over Carolina. Neither Wash nor North knew what South knew, and both were harboring the expectation that the news would cause South to rampage. _Especially_ if she found out Carolina was fighting to keep her A.I. when they had already removed South’s.

Slowly, North seemed to regain his signature collected demeanor. “They went after Wyoming,” he explained with a sigh. “A lot has been going on while you’ve been out.” 

“How long have I been out?” South pressed.

Wash and North exchanged a glance. “This time just a few days.”

“This time?” It was bad enough that so much was happening all at once, but it got worse when South realized she had no memory of waking up before then. Had she mentioned having Epsilon’s- no.. _Alpha’s_ memories? Did anyone else know about that? 

Before she could fish for more information, red lights began pulsing, followed closely by sirens. Everyone looked up at the flashing light. Wash didn’t waste time to put his helmet on and leave, unusually silent and even a little off-putting than he ever had been before. North had more trouble leaving his twin’s side.

“I don’t know what to think,” he confessed to South only when Washington had left, “York was the one who noticed that the police were shooting at us.” And how could York be one of the bad guys if he was the one who bothered asking if they were actually the _good_ guys in the first place? Something about it just didn’t seem right. Wasn’t Project Freelancer supposed to be advancing technology and helping all of mankind? So why would York turn on them?

North always did what he thought was right, so South just pushed him, “Go,” she urged him, needing a window of freedom to find York or Tex for herself, “do whatever you have to.” 

His sister’s words were much… gentler than he had heard from her in what felt like years, but he stood up and pointed at her. “Don’t go anywhere,” he instructed his sister, “I’ll meet you here when it’s over.” She heard him talking to Theta after he passed through the door.

“Sorry, Brother,” she said to the closed door as she stood up. She had to find Tex or York. What the director was doing to the Alpha, to _them_ , South balled her fists in rage. She wanted to help them take down the director, she wanted in. Fighting broke out around the ship. She spied North confronting Wash, but no Tex or York. South pressed on. 

The Mother of Invention shook, taking direct hits but from who? Who else could be attacking them right now? The jolt was enough to force South to brace herself on the wall. _Shit_.

South stumbled through the halls of the Mother of Invention. If they were after A.I. like Wash said, it made sense for them to be looking for the rest of the squad, but when she happened upon Wyoming, it was actually Maine who hovered over him, taking Gamma for himself. The tiny unit disappeared into Maine’s hand, and without hesitation, he added the implant to himself. 

Maine went one way and South decided to go the other. She might not have Epsilon, but what Maine just did.. it was vile. 

South worked her way through, and through, and through, until-

“York!” She stopped at the edge of the elevator shaft. She glanced from him to a little lighter that floated just a few feet away from him. The Mother of Invention jerked again, and York began to fall. South lunged, grabbing his wrist but falling to the ground, barely able to keep both of them from falling into the depths of the pit below them. 

“I’m not going to fight you,” York prefaced. He seemed broken. South pulled him back up onto the level with great effort. “You should just leave, find North, go home. I don’t care. But I won’t fight you South.” The last he could remember, South had been in the operating room, receiving her A.I. Delta blipped into existence between them. 

“ _York_ ,” he tried to say something but York was quick to interrupt him.

“Not now D.”

“I want to help.”


	2. Splinter

North sat with his back against the corner of his sister's room. He couldn't shake the feeling that she was in some sort of immediate danger. It made no sense to him and he didn't know what he could trust. He couldn't differentiate which senses were hindered from the countless nights where he only slept for a few hours, and which were on hyper alert. Could he even be considered reliable? North propped his elbows on his knees and dropped his head to his forearms, deciding he desperately needed to rest his eyes. The difference between the back of his eyelids and the pitch black room was nonexistent. To keep sane, North decided to focus on the sound of South's steady breathing.

If he didn't get some rest, they were at risk of losing each other. North knew South had always had negativity towards him, but it was never more than their friendship. Of course there were times where they felt as though they were the worst thing that could happen to one another, but they were _always_ wrong. The Project drove a wedge between them the longer they were a part of it. South seemed to stop talking to him altogether until the day she was told that Epsilon would be hers, instead of the original schedule where Wash would receive it. That seemed to deem him worthy of the companionship they shared once again. She sat with him that day at lunch, chatting at Theta, acting as though there had never been a problem to begin with. North even had the realization that it was probably because of the leader board. He should have enjoyed the look on her face while he had the chance.

Would he ever get to see her look that happy again?

Her smile had reminded him of when they were little and she would smile when it was just the two of them and not anyone else. His heart ached for his sister's struggle through their life. No matter how hard he tried, North would never be able to give her what she wanted. Maybe when they finished this mission they were on they could try and move on. They had never been so out of sync with one another as when he was given Theta. At least, North mused to himself in his exhaustion, they were still together now.

He was thankful- grateful, that it was Wash that he wound up fighting on his last night on the Mother of Invention. He was grateful that it was South who found him and pulled him away from where he sat next to Washington's unconscious body. Because if South were the one he had to fight, he didn't know if he could do it.

Suddenly, South's breathing lost it's rhythm. Sounds of distress quietly filled the little space of the room, falling heavy on North's ears.

He did his best to keep his eyes shut and not move. If they wanted to make any progress at all, he needed to get some rest. He was running on empty for too long. The longer he kept up his nearly sleepless schedule, the impending attack bore down on his shoulders with increasingly more intensity. At this rate he didn't think he'd be getting any sleep unless it was forced upon him. South continued to stir until she woke up.

" _Shit_ ," she cursed under her breath. North could feel her looking in his direction, even if they couldn't see each other. She must have thought he was asleep because for a while she didn't say anything else.

South didn't seem to fall back asleep. The sound of her tossing and turning kept up for some time before whatever it was that was on her mind erupted out of her, as was inevitable. "You've been awake this whole time haven't you?" She asked him so quietly he was positive that she was unsure of herself the moment the words pressed off her tongue. North smiled to himself.

"I'm awake," he replied.

Silence hung in the air around them once more. This was it for the twins, this was as alone as they were going to be, and neither of them could say what was on their mind. "You know," He whispered, finally breaking the silence again, "it used to be that we would give others the silent treatment instead of each other. That was easy. When we were ready to speak to them again, that was easy too. This isn't easy. Not knowing how to act or what to say around _you_ is worse than any lack of sleep or paranoia can ever get." He thought back to the time when she smiled, when they smiled together, and stifled a yawn. "We'll find York," North tried to assure her, "we've been getting closer every day. Try to rest." North never lifted his head from his forearms or opened his eyes. Finally, he hoped, he might get some rest. He listened for South to say something more on the matter but no answer ever came from her.

Exhaustion slowly took over North. It crept over him and claimed him mercilessly once he was certain that South was asleep once again. The sound of her reply filled the space in the same moment, falling on half deaf ears and comforting no one as a result. "For once, I'm going to be the one to take care of you."

* * *

Putting things right after they were made so very wrong wasn't going to be easy for either of them, but North was on board to help her when she told him about Epsilon so she could count on him. North was always good to his word. South had spent so long being mad at him that she forgot she was supposed to love him. Now he clearly wondered if they would ever be on the same wavelength again. South doubted it. They were on different planes. He was _still_ ready to jump in front of bullets for her and she was still willing to let him. South stared at the darkness where his voice came from. She wanted to keep that from being a risk for him to worry about, but that was just an outcome of what she really wanted to do. South had to get to the Director. He didn't deserve anything after what he had done to all of them.

He didn't deserve life.

South rolled her back to North. In the morning, South had a plan to do exactly what she said she was going to do. When North woke up he would be alone and South would be gone. She spent her life in his shadow, letting him take bullets for her, letting him clean up her messes, letting him be better than her. It was clear as day now. She just had to step out of his shadow. She had to leave him behind and put him in her shadow. She could do it without him. She could find York and find the Director without North. And she was going to.


	3. Chip

The sight of Carolina brought South to her knees. After all that time, after all she’d lost, after everything she’d been through, South never considered, even once, that Carolina was alive. “Get up,” ordered the woman in the sea-foam armor, but shock rendered South completely useless. Carolina sighed, but not out of impatience or irritation. “Get up,” she repeated, still giving an order but just behind the hard tone was a hint of understanding. She extended a hand to South.

All the signs in her HUD indicated the person in the armor was alive and real, there was a heart beat reading telling her as much. South took Carolina’s offered hand, which was solid and still _very real_. “How?” South’s voice escaped her with a greater ease than she would have thought.

“Not important.” Came the reply, dismissive and curt.

South’s next words snapped back into her mouth, dying on her tongue. Carolina only just arrived and South was already waiting to hear what her next order was.

“Where is the Epsilon A.I.?” Carolina demanded, “You have it right? I need it.”

Epsilon. “Yes… and no. In the fight against The Meta… against Maine, Epsilon was trapped in the memory unit. We’ve tried to open it up, but, we haven’t managed it yet.” Deep, deep, _deep_ down in her heart, South felt bad about putting Tucker and Caboose through losing their friend. That was as far as her sorrows went. They were more annoying than anyone she had ever met before. The reds were even worse. 

“Hey, Dakota,” Tucker’s voice preceded his presence. When he rounded the corner and saw the unfamiliar person, he tensed for a brief moment. “Who the hell is this?” He asked, defensive. South didn’t blame him. “Whoa, hold on, are you a lady?”

Carolina lifted her chin and crossed her arms, challenging him, “Why is that important?”

Tucker huffed. “Oh," disappointment resonated in his words, "another-”

“Shut up Tucker,” South snapped, “any luck getting Church out?”

“...Caboose and Sarge almost got it open just now.” Tucker announced. He took one look between Carolina and South before he turned and left. 

Silence hung in the air heavier than any weight either of them could lift. Carolina was clearly on some sort of mission. If she wanted Epsilon she was going to have to tell South why. And if South didn't like the situation, she'd do her best to stop Carolina. After what the Director did to Alpha, to everyone, South wasn't ready to just let Carolina continue to blindly follow his orders. South kept anticipating Carolina to speak but the silence just continued to swallow them whole. South took the liberty of breaking that silence. 

"Why do you need Ch.. Epsilon?" 

"Why did he call you Dakota?" 

South pressed her teeth together so hard it made her ears ring for a moment. The truth was always more difficult to ignore when she had to talk about it. South took a deep breath. She wouldn't get any answers unless Carolina was satisfied. It wasn't a familiar position to be in. South never demanded anything of Carolina before. "There isn't a need for them to differentiate which Dakota they're talking to if there's only one of you." The thought of it was a monster that dug its claws into South's chest, stabbing into her heart from every direction, but she pressed on. "Why do you need Epsi-."

"Dakota! I think we will be getting Church back  _very soon_!" This time it's Caboose who interrupted them. "Hello!" He chirped at the sight of a mysterious new guest, too excited to be getting his best friend back to introduce himself.

"...Hello." Carolina's voice indicated just how distracted by Caboose she was. He seemed to have that effect on people. 

"Hello!" He repeated, more loudly than before, "I am going to go get Church back now! Are you coming?"

South nodded, "Just.. give us a moment."

Caboose left them alone, and Carolina didn't hesitate a second time. "Let me know when they've got him out. I don't have a lot of time."

"Excuse me? You still haven't said what you need him for. I'm not about to let you just take him." As soon as the words left her mouth, South lost the firm ground she had been prepared to hold. Coming back from the dead didn't make Carolina less intimidating, if anything South felt even smaller standing next to her than she ever had before.  

" _That_ is none of your concern at the moment, South."

Something in Carolina's words sparked rage in South's chest. "None of my concern? You come back from the dead, you don't even tell me  _how_ and then you won't tell me why you want to take Epsilon? Sorry, Carolina, but that doesn't work for me."

South prepared herself for the level of anger she last saw Carolina experience. Instead of an argument breaking out, or an actual fight, Carolina nodded. South must have said something right. "I'm going to kill the director." 

The silence that filled the room the second time was vastly different than the first. Carolina's voice seemed to snuff out every other noise so her words could be heard without a single distraction. And the single statement reverberated soundlessly between them. 

Hands balled into fists, muscles tense, Tucker brushed past them without a word. South watched him disappear out of the base.  _It didn't work_ , South thought to herself. She had seen him like that before. Caboose was next to enter the room. His shoulders sagged and his head hung. When he walked up to the two of them, he was fiddling with his hands. "I-it didn't work." 

South opened her mouth to tell him they would keep trying, but Carolina beat her to it, and she did one better. "What if I told you you could open the memory unit if you had the right tools?"

"Really?" Caboose perked up a little.

"And I know just where to find them."

After all she saw Carolina go through, South shouldn't have felt surprised that Carolina could come back from the dead and just drop a bomb on her like she had, yet there she stood feeling like the breath had been sucked out of her lungs for the second time in a matter of minutes.


End file.
